Shortcut Chicken Enchiladas

This post has more pictures than any other recipe I have ever posted. That’s because I couldn’t resist the urge to capture every colorful detail.

Do not be alarmed. Even though the post is long, they’re still Shortcut Enchiladas. So why is it a shortcut? A few reasons. For starters, I use rotisserie chicken. The rotisserie chicken gives the enchiladas a tender and amazing flavor. Not to mention, it is a time saver since you don’t have to cook it yourself.

The other reason is everything you see here:

Having all these things already diced up for you means all you have to do is open a few cans and dice up your jalapeno and onions. See? Shortcuts everywhere.

Once you have diced everything, you’re ready to cook. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Add some oil to a hot pan. Add onions and jalapeno first. Cook the veggies for about 7-10 minutes, or until soft. While the veggies are cooking, remove skin and bones from the chicken. Be sure to use the white and dark meat. Shred the meat into small pieces. Break it up as much as you can so the seasonings will absorb. Discard the skin and bones or you can freeze them. The rich flavors of the skin and bones would be a great flavor for homemade chicken stock. I will be sure to give you that recipe later.

Now add the green chiles. I wait to add the chiles because they are already soft. You need only heat the through. Stir the peppers and onions around for another 5 minutes.

Next, stir in the chicken.

After the chicken is mixed in with the peppers and onions, add tomatoes (including the juice), chicken stock, spices, salt and pepper. Blend well. Now reduce the heat and simmer the mixture for about 8 minutes.

While the meat is simmering, it’s time to get the corn tortillas ready. Wrap them in wet paper towels and pop them in the microwave just long enough to warm them and make them flexible. My microwave only needs a minute. If you had more time, you could heat the tortillas in a pan of oil. It’s a lot more decadent that way, but then this wouldn’t be a shortcut anymore, would it?

Now it’s time to build the enchiladas. Spoon a generous amount of the meat mixture into a tortilla. Don’t use too much. The tortilla should still be able to close. Roll the tortilla completely around the meat and place the roll on the dish with the opening facing down. Arrange filled tortillas on a deep baking dish or casserole dish.

Once all your tortillas are rolled, sprinkle a layer of cheese over the top. Follow that with your enchilada sauce. Then top it with another layer of cheese.

Pop it in the oven and cook for 30 minutes and dinner is served. Top it with sour cream or cilantro.

This is the perfect Sunday #PrepDay recipe, like most of my recipes. I usually put the whole thing together on Sunday. When you’re ready to serve it, there’s nothing left to do but pop it in the oven. When you get home, turn on your oven. Put your things down and get the kids situated. By now the oven is heated. Pop the dish in the oven. Now pour yourself a glass of wine, help kids with homework or whatever else you have to do until you hear the magic bell that says dinner is ready. How easy is that? Also, unless you have a family the size of a football team, there’s almost always leftovers. Put them in a freezer-safe container and save it for one of those times when you’re in a jam. See that? Shortcuts everywhere. 😉